1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatuses for outdoor use and having at least one surface designed to simulate the appearance of a natural surface, such as a vegetation surface or rock surface.
2. Background of the Art
In hunting, game are adept at identifying unnatural (e.g., human) motion and sounds, as well as unnatural structures in their environment. One technique used by hunters to counter game's ability to identify unnatural motion and sounds is to use a hunting blind, which is a cover device designed to reduce the chance of detection.
Hunting blinds come in two main varieties. Elevated blinds are positioned above ground, such as within a tree or on a stand. Ground blinds, on the other hand, sit directly on the ground.
Typical ground blinds often require a great deal of preparation and patience prior to use. Because game such as deer are cautious and unaccepting of new and unfamiliar structures, a ground blind might have to be left in the desired hunting location for extended time periods prior to use. In addition, the blind may need to be “brushed in”—that is, brush from the surrounding area gathered to place around the blind so the game does not see the unnatural outline. Not only can this take a significant amount of time, but it must be done frequently, as the foliage on the brush that provides the concealment dies off over time and reduces the amount of cover.
Several devices have been developed to attempt to address these problems. For example, a blind sold under the trademark GHOSTBLIND®, by GhostBlind Industries of Marietta, Ohio, comprises a set of adjacent mirrors that are angled downward toward the ground surface. Thus, the natural appearance of the surrounding ground surface is reflected by the mirrors to the nearby game.
The GHOSTBLIND® blind, however, has several drawbacks. For one, the mirrors are relatively fragile, and cannot be left unattended for extended periods of time without risk of damage. Second, the blind is relatively small, is open to the environment and elements, and does not include aspects for inhibiting the transmission of unnatural sounds and scents. Third, there still remains risk of an unnatural image inadvertently being reflected by one or more misaligned mirrored panels.
Other proposed solutions were arrived at by assignee of this application and are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. D642,700, D652,343, D642,699, and D661,404. For example, D642,699 discloses a tree-like observation blind that has the general shape of a tree trunk. This patent, however, does not simulate a vegetation surface, but rather simply the general outline and shape of a tree. In fact, the design disclosed in D642,699 was determined to be inadequate, which resulted in development of the inventions disclosed and claimed herein.